Design Style by Robert Green Architect AIA | |
STUDYING PERSONALLY WITH FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT | |
By Robert M. Green Architect AIA | |
I am from
Savannah, Georgia originally. I moved to Atlanta when fourteen and
started at Georgia Tech at seventeen, already knowing that I wanted to be
an architect, yet knowing nothing about architecture.
In the library of the School of Architecture I
discovered books containing pictures of the buildings of Frank Lloyd
Wright. They were a revelation to me: houses low, long, tying into
the ground, beautiful in proportion, fascinating in plan and space.
At that time at Georgia Tech, the favorite of the
styles among the professors was the all glass buildings of Mies van de
Rohe. The professors tended to force the students into copying that man's
stark, modern buildings. I liked the naturalness of Mr Wright's
better. After two years at Tech, I joined the U.S. Marines; for at
that time men my age had the "two year obligation." I joined to
satisfy that requirement, and to get the G.I. Bill, which would
allow me to attend college where I wanted: California preferably.
After the Marines, I attended the University of
California in Berkeley long enough to realize that there some of the same
stuff was being forced down student's throats as at Georgia Tech. I
could not take any more of that, so I went back to my job and girl friend
in San Francisco and enjoyed life a few months. Finally, I realized
that if I was ever going to become an architect, I had better get out of
there. (Also, if I stayed longer, I would be marrying the girl, and
I was not ready for marriage.)
I returned to Georgia Tech for another year and a
third.
And it was in the middle of a quarter that I
decided to quit Georgia Tech, permanently. Three professors sat me
down and tried to talk me out of leaving. Finally I said, "Well, let
me ask y'all a question: I have at one time or another heard each of you
three say that you thought Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West was a `great
building.'" They nodded in the affirmative. "Well, I agree
that it is a great building. But, let's look at it for a
minute. Actually, the plan doesn't `work'. Imagine coming into
the drive and turnaround with a van full of food for all those fifty or
more people there. You would have to carry that food across the
gravel parking area, down a few steps, around the office and up more
steps, then past the long drafting room...and somewhere back behind all
this, you would find the kitchen. As for the living room: it's
almost impossible to even find. Still, I repeat: it is a great
building.
"Now, for the sake of argument, let us suppose that Mr
Wright had not designed the building and, instead, one of us
students had." I paused and looked at each of them before saying,
"What grade would we have made?"
They were silent a few moments, and finally one
said, "Well, Bob, you would have flunked. But, you see, Frank Lloyd
Wright is a genius."
I exploded!
"That's exactly what I have been trying to say. If
Mr Wright designed a great building, then it's great; but if one of us
students designed it, we would get an F. In other words, we are not
allowed to even try to design anything good; for if we are so talented or
lucky as to have accidently designed a great building, you will flunk
us. Gentlemen, you have just proved my point: I have been
wasting my time at Georgia Tech." |
They
didn't say a word while I picked up my stuff and left.
I left for California again, and the only professor
I had liked in Atlanta, who also had left Tech and had been made the head
of Architecture at the University of Southern California, in L.A. I
went through Scottsdale first and learned that Frank Lloyd Wright would
allow students to pay him with the G.I. Bill, if accepted to study with
him. When I arrived at L.A. I wrote to Mr Wright. A nice long,
heartfelt letter about wanting to study with him.
Three weeks and no answer.
I wrote another one. Again no answer.
Finally, I wrote a short, nasty letter saying,
"..at least you should show me the common courtesy to answer my letter..."
and sent along drawings of the only building I had designed at Tech which
I still liked (and on which I received the lowest grade I had ever
made). A week later I received an application form, and an
appointment to meet with Mr Wright at Taliesin West, Arizona. Arriving at Taliesin West, I was told to wait
outside the office, that Mr Wright was in the theater and would be right
out. Frank Lloyd Wright came into sight, and he saw me about the
same time I spied him. He was speaking to a man and I stared at
him--he was about thirty feet away--and he kept looking at me. The
man left and I resolutely approached Mr Wright, sticking my hand out and
saying, "Mr Wright, I'm Robert Green, I came to study with you," figuring
the short, direct method had gotten me that far, so why not
continue. I was all of twenty-three years old.
Mr Wright chuckled and then said, "Well, Robert, do
you want to live out here in the desert where it's cold at night and hot
in the day? Amongst the snakes and things?"
"Yes sir."
"We have taken on several new apprentices recently,
and I don't know if we have room for you." All the time looking
straight into my eyes.
"Mr Wright, I'll sleep in my car if I have
too." He laughed, and then said, "Well, we won't make you
do that." Then he looked to his right at a high hill behind the camp and
said, "You know, we had snow on that hill last night. The
first time I've ever seen that here." And then we spoke of the
weather the next minute or two. Finally, he said, "Robert, you go
down to the office there and see Gene Masselink. Tell him I said to
get you fixed up with everything you'll need."
And that was my acceptance by Frank Lloyd Wright.
(Later I talked with several apprentices who told
me that their interview lasted for hours, with Mrs Wright being called in
to voice her opinion, etc.)
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